Strawberries
by Aki Kaminari
Summary: After finishing the journey to destroy the remaining Expheres, Lloyd begins to realize feelings for someone he never imagined. LxZ WARNING: BL/yaoi/whatever you want to call it.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note from years after writing this story: **I've considered multiple times removing this story, since it's been over half a decade since its creation and I'm extremely dissatisfied with the quality of my writing back then. However, I do see from the hit counter that there are people who are still reading this for whatever reason, so I've decided to leave it up. I haven't edited anything in the story itself (save for a couple spelling errors), but I've removed some of my previous author's notes that seemed particularly stupid. Thanks to anyone who still reads this story. I'm glad that even if I don't like it anymore, there's someone who does.

* * *

**Prologue: Hidden Emotions? **

It had been almost two years since the worlds had been united. The great Yggdrasil tree was now the size of a small sapling. Not far away from the rapidly growing village of Iselia, a certain gentle idealist was currently sprawled on the bed on the second floor of the home he shared with his surrogate father, Dirk. He stared at the red-colored exphere, turning it over in his hand. So many memories from such a small gem...

_Two figures stood in the fields near the outskirts of Meltokio. A gentle breeze played with the long, red hair of Tethe'alla's former Chosen and the short, gravity defying hair of a red-clad swordsman. "I can't believe we've finally finished," the latter sighed in contentment as he destroyed the remaining unused exphere._

_"Of course we finished, Bud! Remember the seventh dwarven vow?" The ex-Chosen teased as he hugged the younger man from behind. 'Bud' rolled his eyes as he waited for his companion to get off of him._

"_Zelos, don't even go there. You know how much I hate that saying!" he said in exasperation. Zelos released his grip and chuckled._

"_Come on, you know I'm just messing with ya, Lloyd."_

_Lloyd turned and glared at Zelos, but then a thought struck him. His gaze dropped to the ground. "So I guess this is goodbye then," Lloyd mumbled sadly. He hated to admit it, but he had actually become attached to the philandering idiot. Though he still had a way of being able to get on anyone's nerves. Especially Lloyd's. Zelos placed a gloved hand under Lloyd's chin, forcing his friend to meet his now serious gaze. Lloyd resisted the urge to gasp. The Chosen's serious face always made his heart skip a beat, though he didn't understand why, and was practically unable of looking away. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and waited for Zelos to speak._

_Smiling in satisfaction, Zelos moved his hand to Lloyd's left shoulder. "Don't worry about it. We'll stay in touch, right?" This earned a nod form Lloyd. The smile changed to his trademark smirk, but on the inside he was heartbroken. He knew and understood that he and Lloyd had separate paths from now on, but he just didn't want to let go. He had known for a long time that he had fallen for the boy. In fact, it was on the day he had given Lloyd his Cruxis Crystal. The day he had betrayed the party for his own selfish desires. Lloyd had still trusted him after that, which only made his love for the idealist grow. Of course, being as dense as he is, Lloyd had yet to realize the feelings his companion had for him. He wanted to tell him so badly about how he felt. But that was impossible. They had grown so close during this journey, formed a bond that only the best of friends share. So Zelos hid his feelings for the boy, no matter how much it hurt him on the inside. Now, he had to leave the one he longed for. He had decided beforehand to try to just turn away and forget all of it. "Well, see ya later, Bud," Zelos said after a long pause. He turned and began to walk away._

"_W-wait!" Lloyd exclaimed, suddenly remembering something. He sprinted towards the Chosen, reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out what looked like a green exphere. "I forgot to give this back to you." He held his right hand outstretched to Zelos, waiting for him to take it._

"_No, that's okay. You keep it."_

"_But...," Lloyd trailed off._

_Zelos sighed and accepted the crystal. "Fine. But you're not leaving without a memento." He brought his hand to the key crest that was slightly below his collarbone, switching the exphere with the Cruxis Crystal in a fluid motion that was barely noticeable. He moved his right hand outwards, still holding the gem, and offered it to Lloyd. "Don't you dare lose that. It was given to me by someone special."_

"_Special? Who's that?" Lloyd asked while taking the exphere. He immediately regretted saying that seeing his friend's eyes take on a tint of sadness._

"_She…was my first real girlfriend. Unfortunately, she disappeared about a year before you guys arrived in Tethe'alla for the first time. I had noticed her acting a bit out of it before that happened, but I didn't think she would run away."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Nah. Don't worry about it. Anyway, thanks for keeping my crystal safe. I don't know what I would have done if I had it when I betrayed you guys.__" There was an awkward silence before Zelos spoke again, in an answer to Lloyd's silent confusion. "Do you want to know a reason behind why I gave it to you?" Lloyd nodded and Zelos continued. "Well, I am the Chosen after all. You knew that before you even met me. So, doesn't it seem strange that I wasn't like Colette physically?"_

"_What do you mean?" Lloyd asked, completely oblivious to what Zelos was trying to say._

"_**This** is what I mean." Zelos closed his eyes, focusing the mana of his Cruxis Crystal. A spiral of transparent orange feathers floated upwards and the crystal flashed brightly before orange mana wings appeared on his back. Lloyd's jaw dropped at the utter beauty of the angel that stood before him. He tried to speak a few times, but couldn't form words._

"_They're…they're beautiful…" Lloyd managed to gasp in awe._

_Although Zelos was shocked that Lloyd wasn't angry with him for keeping such a secret, he was also surprised that the person he admired had called him beautiful. A smile formed on his face and he began a short rant. "Yup. They sure are. From now on you can just call me the Super Hot Angelic Dude Zelos." Lloyd sweatdropped and rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess this is it. Keep in touch, hunny," Zelos said while pulling his crush into a friendly embrace. The former Chosen was gone just like that, speeding towards Meltokio on his angelic wings._

Lloyd sighed. Even though they had promised to keep in touch, the letters had stopped being exchanged after about three months. Now, two months later, Lloyd couldn't help but long for his friend. Even when Kratos had returned from Derris Kharlan a few weeks ago he still couldn't shake this feeling of emptiness. How he missed his lighthearted atmosphere. How he missed the feeling that went down his spine when the emotional mask was dropped. How he longed to gaze into those beautiful sapphire orbs and…

The swordsman almost fell off the bed in shock. Where was this train of thought going? Sure, he and Zelos were close friends, but the line was drawn there! And to top it off, he was a guy! _'Who looks good in a speedo,'_ a voice in his head chimed in. Lloyd froze in sheer terror upon hearing the voice. He was determined not to listen to it. _'Zelos is just a friend. Zelos is just a friend.'_ Lloyd repeated desperately in his thoughts. _'Friend, friend, friend, friend, friend, friend, friend, **boy**friend,'_ Lloyd let out a yelp, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened…

"AUUUUGH! I MUST BE GOING COMPLETELY INSANE!"

Dirk, who was tending to the garden outside, literally jumped three feet in the air in shock. He smacked into a shelf with flowerpots on it. Said shelf fell on impact and crashed next to a sleeping Noishe, who let out a loud yelp and bolted straight into the dwarf, causing them both to tumble into the shallow stream next to the house.

"You must be insane if you can cause this much chaos," a deep, stotic voice announced while walking up the stairs into Lloyd's bedroom. With a hand clamped over his mouth, Lloyd turned to see his angelic father, clad in his usual dark purple attire, minus the mantle. "You've got mail."


	2. Embarrassment

**Chapter 1: Embarrassment**

"You've got mail," Kratos stated simply as he handed an envelope to Lloyd. Examining the handwriting on the letter, he concluded that it was from Raine, of all people. Wondering why his teacher would be sending him something, he carefully opened the envelope and slid out a piece of lined paper.

_Dear Lloyd,_

_It's been a while, hasn't it? I can still remember that day two years ago when you succeeded in not only returning the worlds to their original form, but you managed to revive the Kharlan Tree, even when we failed before. You have accomplished so many things that I believed were impossible. Now, onto why I wrote this letter. I've heard rumors that a genetic experiment that Cruxis was developing was sealed in the ice temple near Flanoir. It was said the creature alone had almost enough power to revive Martel on its own. I'm curious to see what kind of being this is and why it was sealed away. I also think this would be a good time to see everyone again. They have all received a letter practically identical to this one. If you can come, we'll meet in Flanoir as soon as possible. I'll hope to see you and everyone else soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Raine Sage_

"Project EBRUN," Kratos's voice rang out.

"E-broon?" Lloyd shot his father a questioning look.

Said person sighed, and attempted to explain the matter. "EBRUN. Experimental Biological Revival UNit. The technology was stolen from the Renegades, so I don't know much about it since it was almost completed when it was in the possession of Cruxis. How ironic that Yuan was the supervisor. It, or rather 'she', was said to be human before her DNA was altered. Unfortunately, the project came to a halt when Mithos began losing the power of the Summon Spirits," the seraphim finished, only to find his son with a more bewildered look than before. He brushed his hand through his long bangs, shaking his head. "Never mind."

* * *

The morning after that, three angels sped towards Flanoir. Kratos was rather reluctant and only came along after Lloyd and Colette practically begged him to go. Lloyd was attempting to show off his flying abilities to his friends, doing anything from flips to somersaults to suicidal dives, the last of the three scaring the crap out of the other two, who finally told him to stop or they would tie him up and carry him the rest or the way. The boy finally sighed in defeat, flying peacefully on his eagle-like wings. They slowed their pace upon reaching the snowy continent that was now just north of Katz Isle, equipping their winter gear. The three angels came to a halt just outside the snowy city, where their companions were already waiting. Raine and Genis were in the center of the group. The latter of the two had previously been trying to have a conversation with Presea, who was to his right standing next to Sheena. Regal was to the left of Raine, trying to explain methods to improve her deadly cooking. They all welcomed the new arrivals, exchanging hugs and greetings.

After the group had been talking for well over an hour, Sheena had noticed Lloyd's hopeful looking glances at the entrance to the city. "Hey, Lloyd, are you okay? You seem to be kind of down. You can tell me if something's bothering you." These words seemed to jolt Lloyd out of his trance-like state. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as his angelic hearing picked up the sound of something, or rather someone, approaching at an inhuman speed. He turned away from the city, facing the snowy wilderness.

"LLOOOOOYD!"

Perfect timing.

He had turned to face the fast approaching object just as it hit him full force. The swordsman saw a flash of red, pink, white and shining orange and felt a pair of slender yet muscular arms wrap around his waist as he was tackled to the ground, skidding back a few feet in the process. He snapped out of the shock as he felt the person nuzzle his stomach.

"Zelos! What the hell! Why did you slam into **me** of all people?" the boy asked in confusion. If Zelos was going to tackle someone, he had expected him to do it to Sheena or maybe even Raine.

" 'Cause we're best friends! Right?" The Chosen answered while flashing Lloyd a smile.

Said person sighed. "I suppose so…"

"Really? You really mean that? Bud!" Zelos's smile could outshine light magic as he rubbed his cheek against Lloyd's affectionately.

The Eternal Swordsman felt a shiver go down his spine as a deep red blush spread across his face. Despite the fact that his friends were watching, he couldn't help but close his eyes in pure bliss, returning his friend's embrace. "I-I've missed you," he whispered, surprised that his voice still worked. Kratos raised an eyebrow as his angelic hearing accidentally picked up the obviously private message.

"Aww, I missed you too, buddy!" Zelos answered a bit too loudly, and a few gasps were heard among the party. Lloyd made a noise of embarrassment as he pushed the former Chosen off upon hearing the reactions of his companions. As if them seeing his unusually cheerful response to Zelos's affection wasn't enough! Out of the whole party, Presea and Colette were the only ones unaffected by the scene. Genis stood wide-eyed with his mouth agape, Sheena had a similar expression, Raine and Regal just stared, and Kratos, probably the most effected because he had heard what his son had said before, stood frozen with his right eye twitching slightly. Zelos looked around at his friends' faces. "What?"

"Let's…just get to our rooms. I'm sure everyone's worn out after the long trip here," Raine stated in a slightly shaky voice, turning and entering the city. The rest of the party decided it was a good idea and followed her.

Sheena decided to start a conversation to ease the tension. "By the way, Zelos, since when were you an angel?" she said, asking a question that had been forced to the back of everyone's minds at the incident between Lloyd and Zelos. Everyone seemed interested, and stared intently at the red-haired Chosen.

"Why, ever since I got my Cruxis Crystal back from Seles; and when I got it again from Lloyd, hunny," he answered, as if it was obvious.

Sheena blinked. "And exactly _why_ did Lloyd have your Cruxis Crystal in the first place?"

"I had him keep it safe for me during the whole fake betrayal thing."

The summoner had a feeling Zelos wasn't telling her the whole story, but she let it go this time.

"Whoa. Talk about extreme makeovers…" the Chosen said as the party entered the hotel. The interior was much more open, the floors had been polished slightly, and large glass windows lined the walls for a good view of the snow. The place still managed to feel warm and welcoming, despite the renovations.

The group agreed on having Colette decide who shared rooms. Sylvarant's former Chosen thought for a moment, then spoke up. "Well, why don't we just go with what we used to on our journey, for old times sake?" This earned a nod from all the companions. "So, let's see…that means… Raine and Genis in one room, Sheena, Presea, and me in another, Kratos and…maybe Regal?" Colette paused, because Kratos hadn't been with them on the latter part of their jouney. At a nod from both, she continued, "And Lloyd and Zelos in the last room."


	3. Strawberries

**Chapter 2: Strawberries**

"Sounds good to me! Good job, my little Colette," Zelos replied while putting an arm around her.

"Thanks, Zelos," Sylvaraunt's former Chosen smiled happily.

"Zelos, leave her alone you pervert!" the summoner warned as she dragged him away by the back of his shirt.

"Aww, come on. Don't get jealous now, my Violent Demonic Banshee," he flirted.

"You've got to be kidding me! Ugh, I'm going to bed!" the now enraged Sheena shouted, dropping the redhead on the floor as she darted up the stairs.

"Ow! See, I told you she's a banshee!" the young noble whined. The whole group sweatdropped and hung their heads in exasperation at the scene, forgetting about the earlier incident between Zelos and Lloyd. Genis was the first to recover.

"Oh, I almost forgot, we won't be going to the Ice Temple until the day after tomorrow. Raine and I kinda arranged to decorate one of the larger rooms for a Christmas party tomorrow. The actual party is going to be on Christmas Eve, which is two days from now. We'll go to the party after we finish examining the ruins," the mage explained.

"That's awesome! Just us at the party?" Zelos exclaimed as he got up from the floor.

"That's right."

"Woo-hoo! Count me in!" He shouted as he raised his right fist in the air in a cheer.

Everyone agreed to help as well, and Colette promised she'd tell Sheena the details that the ninja had missed out on. The whole party said their goodnights and walked up to their rooms. Only the seraphim and the president of the Lezarano company remained in the lobby.

"Well, this is awkward…" Kratos finally spoke up.

"Indeed," Regal answered.

The angel sighed. "You seem to be the only sane person left in this group. Would you care to discuss what happened between my son and that idiot Chosen?"

The noble brought a hand up to his chin thoughtfully. "Of course. I'm always up for a good debate," he answered as he followed the mercenary up the stairs. Kratos sighed again. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Lloyd cursed under his breath as he stared at the white ceiling of the hotel room, sleep refusing to claim him. No matter how much he bundled up in the blankets, he was still cold. Shivering, he rolled over to face the other bed that was occupied by Zelos, only to find the said person staring at him with a concerned gaze.

"Hey Lloyd, you look kind of cold. Why don't you slip in with me?" The Chosen questioned, sitting up and patting the space next to him.

"Wh-what?" Lloyd stuttered. He could feel his cheeks heating up.

"Whoa, hey, chill out, man. Body heat's pretty much the fastest way to warm somebody up." Zelos replied, flashing Lloyd his trademark smile.

The Eternal Swordsman's blush deepened, and he fixed his gaze on the wood floor. It was a moment before he opened his mouth, hesitated, but finally answered. "…Okay." Zelos responded by padding over to his roommate's bed and offered to help him up. _'Why is he acting so…so…'_ Lloyd desperately tried to think of a word as he took the Chosen's hand and walked over to the other bed.

Slipping under the covers next to his friend, Lloyd gasped when Zelos pulled him closer so that his head was resting against the older bishonen's chest. "Better?" he asked innocently. Well, as innocent as Zelos can get.

"Y-yeah…" Lloyd stuttered before adding a quiet "Thank you." Zelos had answered with a smile. Lloyd absent-mindedly looked out the window to see the snow falling silently outside. Snow. _'That's right…'_ the swordsman thought, remembering the conversation he had with Zelos the last time they were in this city. His expression darkened slightly at the memory. "Zelos…it's snowing. Does it bother you?"

The angel's expression held a bit of sadness as the smile faded. "Maybe a little. But that's okay. 'Cause now, I know there are people who want me to live. And I'm not the Chosen anymore."

"I wanted you to live even when you were the Chosen," Lloyd reassured.

Surprise flashed across Zelos's face for a split second before returning to the usual, carefree smile. "Thanks, Bud. That means a lot," Zelos felt the said person finally relax and snuggle closer as he mumbled a faint goodnight. He waited until he was sure Lloyd was asleep before brushing a lock of the boy's spiky hair out of his face and whispering into the night. "Really, Lloyd, it does mean a lot. More than you'll probably ever know…" He planted a kiss on the Eternal Swordsman's forehead. The angel fell asleep soon after that, basking in the joy of being this close to his love, if only for a single night.

* * *

Zelos chuckled to himself. Lloyd was always the last to get up and this day it would prove to be very entertaining.

The swordsman slowly awoke, but refused to open his eyes. The first thing he noticed, much to his dismay, was that Zelos was no longer near him. Well, that was to be expected. The former Chosen probably got bored waiting for him to wake up. Plus, it was warmer now. Zelos wouldn't want to sleep with him longer than he had to.

…Right?

The second thing he noticed was that something was tickling his face.

"Stupid bugs…" he said as he brought a hand up to his face to swat the said 'bug'. The idealist let out a cry as his face came in contact with a glob of whipped cream. "Gah! What the hell!" It was then that Lloyd noticed the snickering perpetrator, who was hiding one of his shiny orange feathers and a can of whipped cream behind his back, trying to look as innocent as possible. Lloyd brought his other hand to his face to wipe it off, failing to notice that the foamy substance was on that hand as well. Zelos finally burst out laughing, no longer able to feign his innocence.

"Ahaha! Lloyd… y-your face is priceless!" he managed to gasp out. Trying to stop laughing only made him laugh harder, and he was unaware of the fact that he dropped the can of whipped cream, which rolled over by his roommate's feet. Lloyd smirked and picked up the can, slowly walking over to Zelos, who was clutching his stomach from all the laughter.

He waited for Zelos to look up at him, and his smile broadened at the Chosen's frightened expression. "Payback."

* * *

"AAAAAAH!"

Sheena dropped the book she was reading in the lobby and nearly fell of the couch at the high-pitched scream that could only belong to Zelos. How a guy could reach that high of an octave was beyond her.

Raine looked up from some of her research papers as well. "What in the world _was_ that?"

The summoner sighed. "I think the guys are awake," she said.

"Something tells me this is going to be picture worthy," Genis said. The rest of the party followed the half-elves and the summoner to the second floor. Genis was about to open the door when Sheena stopped him. She pressed her ear against the hard oak door to try to figure out what was going on in there. It was obviously some kind of struggle, judging by the occasional thud of someone bumping into something.

"Okay, I'll open it on the count of three," Sheena stated simply. Genis readied the camera.

"I'm afraid to look," Colette spoke up.

"One…two…three!" The summoner pushed the door open in one fast movement. All the party could do was stare in shock, aside from the young half-elf, who dropped the camera right after he took the picture. There Zelos and Lloyd were, laughing and rolling around on the floor in nothing but their boxers, both covered in whipped cream.

"Oh, hey everyone. What's up?" Lloyd asked casually, completely oblivious of the position he was in. Currently, he was on top of the redhead, pinning his arms above his head and straddling his hips in a manner that was beyond suggestive.

"Uhh…Lloyd? I think we'd better get dressed…" Zelos said, only making it sound worse.

"Wha?...Uhhh...," His gaze traveled down their barely dressed bodies. "Oh! Dammit, this is _not_ what it looks like! You have to believe me!" the boy shouted as he jumped off his companion, mortified. He waved his hands in front of him for emphasis.

The door slammed shut and was followed by two thuds and a cry of "Kratos! Sheena! Are you okay?"

"Well, aside from the interruption, that was kind of fun, huh?" Zelos asked as if nothing happened.

Lloyd glared at his companion and smacked him upside the head before stomping off into the bathroom to wash up.

"OW! Why does everyone hit me these days?"

* * *

Genis snickered as he took a picture of the seraphim clutching the hilt of his sword, looking quite paranoid at the moment. And he definitely had reason to be. The half-elf suppressed his laughter. He had caught _every_ embarrassing moment that had happened that day on film. Besides the picture of Lloyd and Zelos from earlier, he had caught his sister trying to kiss Kratos, who had been in charge of hanging up mistletoe. The mercenary had broken his normally calm composure for the second time that day and had run off as fast as he could to find something else to do. He had also taken a picture of Sheena who had suspiciously snuck outside. In the end, she had come in carrying a snowball. Kratos was too busy hanging up banners to notice her approach, and she had promptly stuffed the snowball down the back of the 4000-year-old angel's shirt. The following picture was of Raine giving Sheena a high-five.

Presea walked up to the young half-elf. "Excuse me, Genis, may I ask you something?"

He perked up, blushing deeply. "O-of coure! W-what is it, P-Presea?" he stuttered.

The pink-haired girl held up a mistletoe that Kratos had obviously forgotten to hang up. "What is the function of this plant?" she asked in her usual monotone voice.

Genis's eye's widened as he turned a deeper shade of red. "Ah, th-that's… well, it's…when your under it with someone you l-like you're supposed to k-k-kiss them," he managed to stammer out.

Presea blinked, her expression unreadable. Then, in a fast motion, she placed a hand on Genis's shoulder and pressed their lips together. The silver-haired mage's eyes widened in shock, but then he closed his eyes and put his arms around the girl shyly.

Meanwhile, Zelos and Lloyd had finished the job of decorating the tree, and were lounging on the couch eating strawberries. Zelos was sitting in one corner of the couch leaning against the armrest, while the brunette sat to his left with his bare feet resting on the space beside him. Most of them hadn't bothered to wear shoes or dress formally because they weren't going to be in public.

"I feel kinda bad for your old man, y'know?" the Chosen said as he took a bite of one of the sweet red fruits.

Lloyd chuckled. "Me too. But I'm glad he's able to lighten up a bit." The pair laughed as Lloyd's angelic father tensed up when the girls walked by. They shut up as soon as the seraphim had sent them a death glare.

Zelos was quiet until his eyes widened and he pointed across the room. "Twerp action!"

"Huh?" was Lloyd's response as he looked in the direction his friend was pointing. He gasped as he saw Presea slowly pull away from his blushing half-elven friend.

"Did I do that right?" the pink-haired girl asked.

"Y-yeah," Genis whispered as he wobbled from side to side with hearts in his eyes. He jumped as he heard the red-haired Chosen applaud from the side of the room. Everyone else followed his example, drawing more than a bit of unwanted attention toward the duo. Presea just continued to stare, but she was smiling slightly. Genis was redder still, which was previously thought impossible.

"Genis, Presea, I'm so happy for you!" Colette exclaimed.

"Thank you, Colette," the latter said as Genis nodded in agreement.

Things returned back to normal after a few minutes and everyone returned to their tasks.

"Whoa, check out the size of _that_ one!" the brunette exclaimed as he pointed to an unusually large strawberry. There was a mischievous glint in the redhead's eyes as he lowered his head and picked the fruit up with his teeth. His gaze turned to Lloyd with an expression that seemed to say, "_Still want it?_" Lloyd took a moment to weigh his options. He could freak Zelos out by accepting the strawberry in this manner. On the other hand, this might be the only chance in a long while that he would get to drop a hint of his surfacing feelings. His head started to hurt just thinking about it. Determination flashing in his eyes, he put his right hand on the back of the couch and his left by the Chosen's right arm, which was still on the arm rest. He leaned in closer, blushing furiously as he met his crush's gaze with half-open eyes and closed his mouth over the other end of the sweet red fruit, his own lips a mere centimeter away from Zelos's. Neither of them heard a 'click' in the background. Zelos's eyes widened in shock as he lost his grip on the fruit. Lloyd took this opportunity to pull away and happily munched on his prize. He grinned nervously at his companion before he heard another 'click'. The duo turned to face Genis, who was waving the camera back and forth in a taunt. Lloyd looked as if he would pass out from all the blood rushing to his head. He and Zelos stood up.

"Genis…!" They said in unison. Said person gulped and turned to run, closely followed by the two swordsmen with cries of "Get back here!" and "You're going to pay for that, you little runt!" Fortunately, the mage was the only one that had witnessed the incident, and everyone else was completely clueless as to why he was being chased around.

Raine suddenly held her staff out in front of the three. Obviously not paying attention to where they were going, all of them tripped on it and landed unceremoniously on the floor.

"That's enough, you three. Everything is in order now. It's going to be a long day tomorrow and we're getting up early. Everyone should go to bed now and get lots of sleep," the healer instructed. The rest of the party nodded and exchanged their goodningts. They exited the decorated room and strolled towards their bedrooms.

"Need me to warm you up again, Bud?" Zelos asked once he closed the door behind them.

"A-ah, I don't know…" Lloyd said while trying to find something on the floor to stare at.

"Well, if you get cold you can slip in anytime," Zelos said with a smile as he turned off the light. His bed made a soft creak as he bundled under the blankets. A small sigh blew past his lips as he fixed his gaze on the wall right next to his bed. Lloyd didn't feel the same after all. After the whole scene with the strawberries he had hung onto a thread of hope, but that had been cut by the hesitation in his love's voice. Maybe Lloyd did like him as a friend, but surely that was all.

…Right?

The ex-Chosen sighed again. Why couldn't anything go right in his life?

"…Zelos?"

Said person jumped at the break in the silence. He hadn't even heard the boy approach!

"Sorry," even in the dark, he could see Lloyd rub the back of his head in embarrassment.

"No, no! It's okay. So, what's up, Bud?"

"Um, well…" there was a moment of silence between the two. "Nevermind. It's nothing important. Goodnight," Lloyd turned to walk away when he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around his waist and drag him backwards onto the bed. He let out a cry of surprise at the sudden action.

"Is that what you wanted?" the redhead inquired. Lloyd was too embarrassed to answer, and his response was only a small nod, but it got the message across. The younger swordsman called his name, earning his full attention once more.

"I'm sorry to keep bothering you like this."

_'Bother? I'm in heaven, hunny!'_ was what Zelos wanted to say, but he opted for a better choice that wouldn't hint at his feelings. "You're starting to sound like Colette, you know that? So I guess I'd better respond with a Lloyd-ish speech," Zelos said with a smirk, but his expression softened slightly. "You mean a lot to me. During our journey to unite the worlds, you were always the one that took me seriously, and listened when I needed to vent. I just want to return the favor by being there for you, that's all." It was far from being "all", but it was true none the less.

Lloyd smiled casually. "Well, that's what friends are for, right?" He said with a chuckle.

"Now you're starting to sound like _me_!"

That comment sent the two into a fit of laughter. They had no idea what the future would hold for them. Right now, though, they didn't care one bit. They were just happy with living the moment.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that was a fairly long chapter. Hmm…let's see…there should be anywhere from one to three chapters left. I'll have to warn you, the next chapter has a tiny bit of a dark theme in it. Anyway, back to this chapter. I decided to add the GenisxPresea pairing because I think it's cute. Oh, and about the KratosxRaine pairing, I personally don't like it. No offense to any fans out there, but I just put it in there for humor.**


	4. Affections

**Chapter 3: Affections**

"Kratos?"

Said person tensed upon hearing the elven professor call his name. He turned from examining a pillar to face her. Surprisingly, she had a rather downcast expression. He nodded to tell her he was listening.

"I just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday. When you told me about the details of EBRUN I-I don't know what came over me…" She turned away, no longer able to meet the seraphim's gaze. "I-I just wanted to thank you. I'm sorry."

"I take no offense. Though I must admit, trying to kiss me and then having Sheena stuff a snowball down my shirt are very odd ways of saying thank you."

Raine faltered for a moment. How did he know about that…?

"So sis _did_ have a reason. I just thought she had a crush on him or something…I should have known it involved ruins…" Genis whispered to Lloyd. Unfortunately, it was a bit too loud and the healer smacked her brother upside the head.

"All right. Sheena, you know what to do," Raine said once they reached the seal room.

The summoner nodded. "I call upon the disciple of everlasting ice. I summon thee! Come, Celsius!"

The summon spirit of ice appeared in a bright flash of sky blue light. "Why have you summoned me?"

"Um, we heard about an Experimental Biological Revival UNit that was sealed here. Do you think you could show us the way?" Sheena asked the spirit.

Celsius let out a sigh. "Mithos just _had_ to choose my temple to store that junk in…All right, fine. I'll show you the way."

"Thanks, my cool beauty!" Zelos exclaimed with a perverted grin on his face. This caused everyone, including Celsius, to sweatdrop.

"You stupid Chosen!" Sheena yelled while raising her hand to smack him.

Zelos caught her hand and waved his index finger teasingly. "I'm not a Chosen anymore, remember?"

"FINE. You stupid _ex-_Chosen!"

"Much better," Zelos smiled as he allowed Sheena to smack him.

"Oooookay…" was Lloyd's response.

Ignoring the bickering humans, Celsius raised her right hand and opened a previously undetectable door behind the altar.

"Thank you, Celsius," the summoner chimed. The spirit nodded once and vanished in another flash of light. Speaking of light, they had a problem. The chamber Celsius had opened was completely dark, and using fire magic in an ice cave wasn't wise.

"Great. Now what?" Genis sighed.

"Leave this to me," came Zelos's response. His Cruxis Crystal shined before bright orange wings appeared on his back.

"Oh, I get it!" Colette exclaimed. She brought out her own pink and purple wings to add more light. Kratos and Lloyd followed the Chosens' example. The four angels led the way into the room. Raine gained the lead as soon as a magitechnology computer came into view.

"Marvelous!" She looked around for a moment, then frowned in frustration. "Lloyd, get over here!" The professor grabbed the boy by one of the white strips of cloth on the back of his outfit. She shoved him so that his back was against the control panel.

"Why me?" Lloyd complained.

"Because your wings give off the most light. Now hold still so I can see," Raine commanded. Genis and Zelos were snickering in the background and Lloyd shot them an annoyed glare.

'_He should be here by now,'_ Kratos thought. _'I wonder what's keeping him?'_

"Aha! That should start it up!" Raine shouted as she pushed a few buttons. Everyone turned to stare as metal shutters above the machine opened up. A large glass tube was pushed forward. The tube contained a now frozen liquid and a girl in her early twenties with short, bright green hair. She was dressed in a gray tunic with black armor covering her shoulders and upper chest. What appeared to be a white exphere was attached to her body directly above her collarbone. There were wires hooked up to her temples and the gem on her neck.

"So is that the EBRUN?" Genis asked to no one in particular.

Kratos took the time to fill everyone in. "Correct. This is one of the Renegade's and Cruxis's greatest projects. The Experimental Biological Revival UNit. In life, she was a human and an extraordinary healer. Both organizations took note of this. First, the Renegades, who initially began the project. Then, Cruxis realized it's potential, and stole it from them."

"Midori…" Everyone turned at the sound of a soft thump hitting the icy floor.

"Yes, her name was Midori. How did you know, Cho-" The seraphim cut off his sentence as soon as he turned to see Zelos on his knees with his head hung low. His fists were clenched at his sides and his shoulders were trembling slightly.

Lloyd approached the redhead with concern. "Zelos, what's wrong?"

"Stay away," he growled.

"What? Zelos, what's going on?" Lloyd persisted. He had never seen the noble act this way before. He placed a hand on his companion's shoulder.

"I said stay away from me!" Zelos shouted as he smacked Lloyd's hand away.

"Zelos! What's the matter with you?" The boy placed both arms on Zelos's shoulders this time.

"Get away from me!" He yelled louder. Without thinking, he shot a bolt of electrical mana towards the Eternal Swordsman. Lloyd screamed in surprise and pain as he fell back to the floor. He brought a hand to his chest where the lightning had struck. The flesh was badly burned and it was bleeding through his now scorched shirt. Zelos was staring at Lloyd with wide eyes, horrified at what he had done in a blind rage. He stood up and ran at full speed out of the room.

"Zelos…!" Lloyd called after his friend. Sheena and Colette held him back when he tried to get up.

"Lloyd, don't move! That wound is serious!" Sheena scolded.

Lloyd's gaze dropped to Zelos's exphere that had fallen out of his pocket during the jolt.

"_Don't you dare lose that. It was given to me by someone special."_

"_Special? Who's that?" Lloyd asked while taking the exphere. He immediately regretted saying that seeing his friend's eyes take on a tint of sadness._

"_She…was my first real girlfriend. Unfortunately, she disappeared about a year before you guys arrived in Tethe'alla for the first time. I had noticed her acting a bit out of it before that happened, but I didn't think she would run away."_

"I have to follow him. Don't try to stop me!" Lloyd exclaimed as he broke free of the girls' grasp. Ignoring the pain in his chest he rose, scooped up the exphere, and took off in the direction that Zelos had gone.

"Lloyd!" Colette exclaimed as she started after him.

"Stop," Kratos stated while holding one arm in front of her.

"But why?" Colette asked with a hurt look.

"If anyone else interferes now, that idiot Chosen will most likely do something rash again. Lloyd is the only one that can help him now. We would only get in the way."

"But still-"

"Colette, listen to me. Out of all the people here, Lloyd is the only one Zelos has opened up to in the least bit. Anyone else might cause him to lash out again," Colette tilted her head to the side in confusion, but Kratos still continued. "So the best thing everyone can do right now is just stay here and wait. I will follow them in case anything goes wrong, understood?" The former Chosen still looked hesitant. Kratos sighed before whispering in a soft voice that only her angelic hearing could pick up. "Although I hate to admit it, I can relate to Zelos in a way. You could call Lloyd his 'light', easing the darkness that surrounds his heart. In that sense, I also have a person who is my light."

"Who's that?" Colette asked curiously.

"…" Was the reply as Kratos turned to follow his son at a safe distance, leaving the only remaining angel staring in bewilderment.

"What did Kratos say to you?" the ninja asked curiously.

Since she wasn't sure what Kratos had meant by light and whatnot, she put on a big smile and answered. "He just said he would follow them in case anything bad happens, and that the best thing we can do is to wait." Well, that was part of what he said. So it wasn't really a lie, was it? The party seemed to accept the answer.

"It sure is dark in here now," Genis mused. The others nodded in agreement.

Zelos came to a halt a short distance outside the entrance close to where they had obtained the Celsius's Tear flower. He unsheathed his short sword with a slow motion of his right hand. There was only so much a person could take, and he had finally had enough. At times, when they were on the journey to reunite the two worlds, Lloyd was the only thing that kept him going. Now, with the discovery of what had become of the first person he had truly been in love with, and now with the added weight of lashing out at the one he loved most, that had thrown him over the edge. He was tired of living. Everything about it was just one big mistake. It was as if he had fallen into a hole that was too deep to get out of. Now he realized, almost ironically, that he had been falling his whole life. Well, ever since his mother had died. He almost laughed out loud at the thoughts going through his mind. Zelos Wilder, ladies man and former Chosen of Tethe'Alla, the best at everything he did, was thrilled to finally be falling. Zelos couldn't help but burst out in humorless laughter. His expression darkened as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. He slowly brought it up to the exposed flesh on his neck.

"Zelos!" came Lloyd's voice from behind. He dove for the figure in pink and grasped both his wrists in a tight hold. "Dammit, Zelos, get a hold of yourself! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Shut up, Lloyd. You wouldn't understand."

Lloyd was briefly taken aback by his companion's sharp tongue. But he soon regained his composure. "Try me."

Zelos laughed. "What would I know anyway? I'm just a weak idiot."

"That's not true and you and I _both_ know that!" Lloyd shot back angrily. This caused Zelos to sigh. He should have learned by now that his carefree mask didn't work on Lloyd.

"I can't take anymore," Zelos began. "My life just feels so hopeless. I even ended up hurting you. I thought that you and everyone else would be better off without me…"

"Stop going on like that!" Lloyd shouted. Still keeping a tight grip on the redhead's wrists he pulled the older bishonen towards him.

Zelos let out a small gasp as Lloyd embraced him from behind. The idealist buried his face in Zelos's hair. The Chosen could feel his love's breath against his ear. "I _need_ you with me, Zelos. Haven't you realized that yet?"

The magic swordsman felt his jaw drop in surprise. Did Lloyd just say what he thought he said? The sword fell from his hand and clattered to the ice harmlessly as his whole body seemed to go limp in the boy's arms. He could faintly feel the idealist's warm blood slowly seeping through the back of his shirt. He immediately spun around when Lloyd let go of his wrists. He wrapped his arms around the brunette's neck, returning the embrace. Lloyd pulled their bodies impossibly closer as Zelos started sobbing. The young noble's voice was barely a whisper. "Thank you."

Kratos made his presence known a few moments after that by clearing his throat. Lloyd turned around to face his angelic father and smiled weakly. He nodded to tell him that they would go back. The idealist turned to face Zelos again and offered him his hand. Zelos stared at it for a moment, then smiled. He entwined his fingers with the boy's and walked with him past Kratos. Said person stepped forward once they passed to pick up Zelos's short sword. The angel let out a small gasp. There were traces of _both_ the boys' blood on its twin edges. Kratos suddenly sighed and smiled. His son was as reckless as ever. He had cut his hand when taking hold of the ex-Chosen's wrists. The seraphim slipped the sword into a spare sheath. He would return it to Zelos once this incident was over.

The tears were still free-falling from the magic swordsman's eyes. "Lloyd, wait," he said suddenly.

"Mm?" was the boy's response as he came to a halt. Still holding Lloyd's right hand with his left, he brought his free hand to the wound he had inflicted earlier. This caused Lloyd to flinch a little.

"I may not be as good of a healer as Raine, but here goes," He concentrated the mana of his body into his hand. "Healing Stream!" Lloyd inhaled sharply at the mana that flowed through his body, but relaxed as the pain in his chest subsided.

Lloyd brought a gloved hand up to the other man's face, gently wiping off the tears that were present. Both smiled and Lloyd turned to resume walking. Zelos wiped the blood from his hand on a nearby wall. The two opened their wings once they reentered the dark chamber. Colette came running to them once they were in sight of each other. She hugged both of them at once.

"Lloyd! Zelos! You're both okay!" Unfortunately, she slipped on the icy floor after finishing her sentence. The three toppled over with the klutzy ex-Chosen on top. "Whoops! I'm sorry," she said while rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"No, that's okay. Sorry to make you worry like that, Colette," Zelos replied in a soft voice.

Once they had managed to get off the floor Zelos padded over to the frozen Midori. He placed both gloved hands on the glass as a painful sigh escaped his lips.

"Midori was very dedicated to our organization and chose this path herself," chimed a new voice.

Zelos didn't seem to react but Lloyd turned in surprise. "Yuan! When did you-?"

Yuan looked at Lloyd, or rather Zelos, with sympathetic eyes. "I arrived here on Kratos's request. He told me everything through angelic telepathy," he paused while closing his eyes to chose his words carefully. "I'm afraid it's impossible to bring her back at this point," The blue-haired half-elf said as Zelos slumped over once more. Yuan walked over and cautiously placed a hand on the ex-Chosen's shoulder. "Would you like to say goodbye?"

Zelos's head shot up at this statement. What did Yuan mean by that?

As if reading his mind the angel answered. "Like others you have seen on your journey, Midori's soul is sealed within that exphere," he pointed to the white gem above the girl's chest. "The ice surrounding it will have to be dealt with," With that said, Yuan placed his hands on the glass and told everyone to stand aside as he muttered an incantation that shattered it into millions of tiny shards. He stepped aside and nodded to Zelos, who had already begun a fire spell. Instead of the usual fireball, he held the mana in his hand and pressed it against the ice. There was a loud hissing sound as the solid was instantly vaporized. With a trembling hand he reached out and grabbed the exphere, slightly surprised at how easily it slipped out of the key crest. The exphere began to glow at his touch and suddenly flashed a few times before a transparent figure appeared before them. The rest of the party rushed over to get a better look at the spirit, Lloyd was the closest besides Zelos.

"Zel-chan, it's really you!" The spirit exclaimed in delight. She giggled as he flinched at the old nickname. Her expression sobered as she realized her current state of existence. "So this is really the end for me…" She paused, looking down. "I'm sorry I never told you about this, and that I didn't say goodbye…when I was alive,"

Zelos instinctively hugged the spirit, shocked when he realized they could actually touch. "You don't have to apologize. I'm just glad I got the chance to see you again," he whispered.

"Me too," Midori replied. There was a long pause as the two just held each other. "Umm, I don't want to spoil the mood, but…" the spirit started cautiously. "I just have to say hi to that cutie over there!" She exclaimed in an excited and strangely familiar tone, pointing at Lloyd. Everyone fell over in exasperation.

Zelos got up, rubbing his head. "Even in death you flirt with other guys? You sure do know how to hit me where it hurts," the ex-Chosen whined. Midori didn't seem to hear this as she floated over to where Lloyd was standing.

"My, aren't you a cute little country bumpkin!" at that statement, everyone turned to stare wide-eyed at Zelos, finally recognizing the tone Midori was using. Zelos just stood staring and trying to go unnoticed. The spirit, however, seemed confused. "What? Why is everyone staring at my hunny?" The startled faces went from Zelos, to Midori, and back again. Sheena started to twitch and muttered something about a female version of Zelos. "Female version of…wait! You don't mean that after I left you started acting like _me_? Silence fell over the party; there were no objections. Midori stared for a moment, blinking, then burst out in a fit of laughter, that left Zelos looking rather annoyed as a blush rose to his cheeks. Still giggling, she turned back to Lloyd, giving him a once-over. Smiling in satisfaction, she spoke again. "Wow, you totally seem like Zelos's type! So tell me, what's your relationship with him?"

"_WHAT?_" Lloyd squeaked in a soft voice, his face soon matching the color of his outfit.

"Hehehe…I see…" The spirit replied mysteriously, as if she could see something the others could not. She giggled and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Lloyd stepped back in shock, bringing a hand up to his mouth. Ignoring him, the spirit walked over to Zelos and did the same to him. That task done, her eyes took on a tint of sadness (A/N: major mood swings, huh?) She let a sigh pass through her lips. "Zelos, I have one last wish before I lose my consciousness completely. Give me an angel's death."

"Angel's…death?" Lloyd questioned. Zelos seemed to understand, so he resumed watching.

Zelos's body glowed the faintly, angel feathers spiraling upward from a magic circle on the floor. "Goodbye…Midori…" he whispered as the spirit nodded. "Divine Judgment!" He shouted as the mana was released. Endless beams of light rained from above and shattered the Cruxis Crystal into millions of microscopic shards. An uneasy silence filled the room. Zelos turned slowly to face the party. "Well, let's go! The more time we have to party the better!" he said, smiling. Everyone else looked at him with slightly wide eyes.

'_That smile…'_ Lloyd thought as Zelos walked past them towards the exit. _'…It's not the mask-like one he usually wears…'_ The others began walking as Zelos motioned for them to hurry up. _'I think…'_ He still stood there as Genis and Colette encouraged Yuan to come back with them. _'…that for the first time in a long while, he's actually happy.'_ Lloyd let a smile of his own appear as he ran to catch up with the rest.


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue: Merry Christmas!**

"Let's party!" Zelos exclaimed upon re-entering the hotel. There were cheerful cries of agreement throughout the group. Regal and Raine went off somewhere, announcing that they had a surprise for everyone before opening presents. Yuan and Kratos were chatting in the corner, catching up on things for when Kratos was on Derris-Kharlan. Lloyd thought that was a bit strange since Kratos wasn't exactly the most social person in the group, but he had other things on his mind right now. Like a certain red-haired angel. He made his way over to the older bishonen, who was leaning against the back of a chair.

"Zelos?" the said person turned to face the Eternal Swordsman.

"What is it, bud?" Zelos inquired.

Lloyd hesitated a bit, unsure of how to word his question. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, after everything that's happened…"

Zelos put on his trademark grin, laughing slightly at Lloyd's concern. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he paused for a moment, suddenly seeing something behind Lloyd, and peered over the red-clad swordsman's shoulder. "Hey, Raine and Regal are back! Let's see what the surprise is!" Zelos made a dash past the other, but Lloyd grabbed his wrist, still unconvinced. The ex-Chosen sighed. He let the mask fade a bit as he looked directly into the other's eyes. "I'm fine, Lloyd. Really." In truth, it still hurt a lot to think that his first love was gone forever. However, the last farewell between them also served as a sense of closure. Now that everything between the two of them had been settled, Zelos could finally put those days behind him.

Lloyd perked up a bit. "You promise?" Zelos nodded. "Good, 'cause if you were lying I'd smack you!" the younger swordsman teased. With that said, they both rushed over to see what their companions were up to.

Cooking. The word by itself didn't sound threatening, but this wasn't just any ordinary cooking.

It was Raine's cooking.

Lloyd had slowly backed away, then turned to make a run for it, but the Professor held out her staff, which Lloyd promptly tripped over. "Now, Lloyd. Just try _one_. Please?" Raine added the last word as an afterthought. Lloyd hesitantly reached out and poked one of the cookies, as if it would bite off his finger.

"There aren't tomatoes in these, are there?" this question caused both Lloyd and Kratos to shudder, and earned Lloyd a smack from Raine.

"No, there are no tomatoes. Now just eat it already!" Raine said, rather annoyed.

Lloyd took a small bite off of the cookie, chewed for a bit, and swallowed. He blinked, staring at the treat with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"What's wrong, Lloyd?" Genis asked, slightly worried.

"That's just the thing. Nothing's wrong. They're…good."

Everyone stared at the Eternal Swordsman as if he had gone insane.

"Let me try one," Sheena said at last, breaking the silence. After finishing a bite, the summoner's eyes widened. "He's _right_."

The rest of the party looked at one another, then grabbed one for themselves. Not one negative comment was given.

"I knew my instructing would pay off," Regal said in satisfaction.

"What! You're kidding me! I've tried to teach her for years and she still hasn't learned!" Genis exclaimed. After a short discussion about food, they all decided it was time to open presents.

Sheena had given everyone Mizuho-style clothes, to which she received many thank-yous, and a glomp from Colette.

Regal had bought Raine a cookbook, and gave everyone free passes to the growing theme park at Altamira.

Kratos gave everyone new weapons, no doubt enhanced with what was left of the Cruxis technology.

Presea gave everyone the good luck charms she was famous for making.

Raine gave out various potions; being a healer, she was always concerned for her companions' health.

Zelos's presents were the best in Lloyd's opinion. They were items of jewelry decorated with rare and beautiful crystals that glimmered in many colors when held up to the light.

Genis gave them all books of various titles, Sheena's being the most interesting: "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days".

Everyone marveled over the figurines that Lloyd had given them. They had each received a mini-version of themselves.

Last but not least, Colette gave everyone cute little plush toys. Yuan was rather embarrassed about not having anything to give anyone, but they assured him that being there was enough.

After cleaning up the large mass of wrapping paper that had accumulated on the floor, they stayed up a bit longer, talking and munching on snacks.

"Lloyd," Zelos said, approaching the idealist. The room became silent. Everyone had sensed the unexplainable tension between the two ever since they had returned from the ice temple.

"Mmph?" Lloyd asked while eating a marshmallow. Zelos waited patiently for him to finish. Lloyd swallowed the sugary treat. "What is it?"

"Consider this a thank-you for earlier," the sapphire-eyed angel cupped Lloyd's face in his hands before capturing the boy's lips in a swift kiss. Lloyd's eyes widened and his face turned as red as his outfit. Zelos pulled away slowly after a few seconds, not meeting the other's gaze. There was an "Aww" from Colette, a flash from Genis's camera, smirks from Kratos and Yuan, a blank stare from Presea, and gasps of disbelief from everyone else. Before Lloyd could recover, Zelos announced that he was going to bed, saying something about beauty sleep.

Lloyd stayed in the same position for a few minutes, red-faced and not believing what had just happened. He finally shook it off, then asked to no one on particular, "Did Zelos just kiss me?"

"No, that was about five minutes ago," Genis answered, now playing with his new kendama. Lloyd suddenly rushed off, saying goodnight to everyone.

He cautiously opened the door to their shared room. He peered through the dark room. "Zelos? You still up?" Lloyd whispered softly. Zelos immediately shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. Lloyd, however, noticed this. It was also a dead giveaway because Zelos hadn't bothered to get undressed or under the covers. Zelos heard the other boy approach quietly. He heard the bed creak in protest and felt a weight on top of him. "I know you're still awake. Look at me."

Zelos sighed and opened his eyes. What he wasn't expecting was to see Lloyd smiling at him mischievously. Lloyd bent down and brushed his lips against the ex-Chosen's. Before he could pull back, Zelos wrapped his arms around Lloyd's neck, holding him in place, kissing him back passionately. They finally broke the kiss, needing air. Zelos looked at Lloyd questioningly. Lloyd blushed slightly and whispered, "I thought it would be better to continue here, since it's more private…"

Zelos blinked, then smirked. "Okay." Lloyd leaned down to kiss him again, stopping when Zelos put a hand between them. "But there's just one thing that's amiss here." Lloyd stared at him in confusion, then let out a small noise of surprise as he was flipped onto his back, so that Zelos was on top of him. "Much better."

With that said, their mouths met once more. Zelos ran his tongue across Lloyd's lips, asking for entrance. The younger bishonen opened his mouth almost shyly, moaning softly when Zelos's tongue brushed against his own. The former Chosen encouraged his partner to be more daring, and that's how Zelos's shirt ended up on the floor. Lloyd's shirt followed soon after, along with the rest of their clothes. Despite Zelos's rather controlling attitude earlier, their positions got flipped somewhere along the way, and he let Lloyd do as he pleased.

It was needless to say that they didn't get much sleep that night. Due to the fact that the walls weren't very thick, no one else did either.


End file.
